by Elizabeth Desnoyers-Colas R3 Contributor “Thank you for your service.” “Thanks for serving”. Whenever people say one of these statements to me, I have usually disclosed to them that I am retired United States Air Force officer (Major, 0-4).  Sometimes bemused and other times self-conscious, after stumbling through a” thank you” for their thanking me I find myself asking just what do these statements mean?  Are these heartfelt expressions of gratitude for me daring to have been a part of... Read more

As the House Agriculture Committee convened earlier this week to discuss whether or not to cut as much as $4.1 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps), the conversation between lawmakers devolved into an exchange that was equal parts bad policy and bad theology. As House members discussed slashing the budget for the Farm Bill, which funds SNAP, Rep. Stephen Fincher (R-TN) took issue with some Democrats who cited Jesus Christ’s call to care for “the least of... Read more

Duke Divinity School Dean Richard B. Hays has announced the appointment of Eboni Marshall Turman as director of the Office of Black Church Studies and assistant research professor of Black Church Studies.A native of New York, Marshall Turman served as an assistant minister of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City for 10 years. She is the youngest woman to be licensed and ordained by the church, and the second woman to preside over the ordinances in Abyssinian’s 205-year... Read more

Evolution is no longer a theory — it is a reality. Or at least it is when it comes to the evolution of public opinion on LGBT equality. From the White House to the State House; in opinion polls and in church pews; even in NBA locker rooms: the dream of full equality for LGBT people is no longer a far-away light at the end of a very long tunnel — it is a tide turning and a point tipping.... Read more

Kanye West’s new album, available June 18, is expected to be called “Yeezus.” The title may be a riff on the artist’s nickname, “Yeezy”, but it is certainly a play on the name Jesus as well, and will certainly raise questions as a result.  Is this title a tribute or a travesty? As a rabbi who is endlessly fascinated by the historical character called Jesus, and genuinely moved by some of the teachings attributed to him in the New Testament, I... Read more

Rice University will establish an institute to promote religious tolerance after receiving a $28.5 million donation from Houston philanthropists, Dr. Milton and Laurie Boniuk. The gift will be used to build a 3,000 square feet Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance, which will conduct research, public outreach and educational programming. Its mission is to encourage multidisciplinary research that results in understanding and achieving tolerance. Research will be done in religious studies, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and... Read more

by Crystal St. Marie LewisR3 ContributorFirst posted at Crystal St. Marie Lewis There’s a new article in the Washington Post about seminary graduates who don’t plan to enter ministry. According to the write-up, “About 41 percent of master’s of divinity graduates expect to pursue full-time church ministry, down from 52 percent in 2001 and from 90-something percent a few decades ago, according to the Association of Theological Schools, the country’s largest such group.” The writer lists a variety of reasons for the increasingly popular... Read more

Millions of people of varying religious beliefs practice yoga and find that it enhances their spiritual life. Millions of others view it strictly as physical exercise and an aid to mindfulness.Most of them would be baffled at the notion that yoga has anything to do with religion. “People come to our studios to get into shape and relieve stress,” says Brandon Hartsell, chairman of Yoga Alliance and the owner of Sunstone Yoga, which has 12 locations in the Dallas area.... Read more

Alethea Allen, a Virginia resident, graduated this week from Wesley Theological Seminary in Northwest Washington after years of divinity classes. But she has no intention of becoming a minister. Instead, Allen plans to keep practicing as a pediatrician in the Winchester area. Her seminary training, she said, will help her be a better doctor. Allen is one of an increasing number of divinity students who don’t plan to become pastors. Instead, they envision using their degrees to “minister” in any... Read more

by Darlene KelleyR3 ContributorFirst Published at The Journey OK, let me stop lying. Truth be told, I am right in the middle of it at this very moment. Some days it is difficult to get out of bed, other days I wake up disappointed that I woke up alive. As I talk to people and watch folks move through life, my senses are heightened and my eyes come open to the pain that tons of people are experiencing. I am... Read more